Hevein began in 1992 by Leif Hedström and Alpo Oksaharju, guitars and drums respectively. In 1998 the former bassist Tomi Koivunen (replaced by Janne Jaakkola in 2005) and violinist Aino Piipari joined, but finding a permanent vocalist remained a problem until the arrival of Juha Immonen in 2003. An important addition to the Hevein sound was Max Lilja (cello), who had already cut his teeth with Apocalyptica. Both the violin and cello occupy a central role in the music of Hevein: for once, a metal band without cheesy synth strings!
Hevein are a riff-happy lot, and indeed they often steer near thrash metal territory, only to make a 180 degree turnaround the next minute and segue flawlessly into beautiful atmospheric parts. Light and shade in balanced measure.